Austin Malone

ZELIENOPLE — A three-time drug felon is behind bars on charges of selling heroin in southern Butler County.

Austin Malone, 27, of Zelienople was arrested this week in connection with three separate drug deals last year.

The Butler County Drug Task Force said he sold 10 stamp bags of heroin to a police informant on all three occasions — May 10 and June 5 at different stores in Zelienople and May 17 at a store in Cranberry Township.

During the two deals in May, investigators said, Malone's suspected accomplice, Morgan R. Moretti, 20, of Zelienople, acted as a “lookout.” The task force last month obtained an arrest warrant for Moretti.

Officers took Malone into custody shortly after the alleged June 5 deal. They recovered the official funds in his wallet that the informant used to buy the heroin.

Also in his vehicle, according to court documents, officers seized 50 additional stamp bags that were full, partially full or empty, as well as other drug contraband.

“Malone was interviewed,” documents said, “and (he) admitted to selling narcotics and using heroin, along with Morgan Moretti.”

He was arraigned Tuesday on three felony counts each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility, which means he's accused of using a cell phone to set up the drug deals.

Additionally, he faces multiple felony and misdemeanor counts of conspiracy and multiple misdemeanor drug possession charges.

He is being held in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail.

Moretti also faces a list of felony and misdemeanor drug possession and conspiracy charges.

County Detective Tim Fennell, who heads the task force, said Friday that arrangements are being made to have her to turn herself in to authorities.

Zelienople Police on Dec. 29, meanwhile, filed their own unrelated drug cases against Malone and Moretti stemming from a Nov. 2 traffic stop.

Police said they stopped Malone for driving with a suspended license and subsequently found both defendants with stamp bags of suspected heroin and other contraband.

Malone and Moretti are each charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

Court records show Malone already has three felony convictions for drug possession — two in Butler County for cases in 2012 and 2013 and one in Beaver County for a case in 2015.